The Whole Delivery

Photo from MLB.com Cliff Lee really has taken Cole Hamels swag and thensome (and I usually hate saying the word "swag"). Philadelphia fans won't mind at all though. And again, I don't understand all these worries about the Dodgers hitting. When you face a Hall of Fame pitcher (Pedro Martinez) and an in-form ace (Lee) you are bound to struggle if they are on top of their game. Especially when you are at the League Championship stage. The real concern will start for the Dodgers if they don't get anything generated against Joe Blanton tomorrow. And Randy Wolf has got to give them a quality start like Vincente Padilla gave them on Friday.

After starring last night to pick up a poor outing by Cole Hamels, the Phillies' bullpen did the exact opposite today after a remarkable gem by Pedro Martinez. The Dodgers have even up this National League Championship Series at one game all. But despite the Blues grit and terrific start they got from Vincente Padilla as well, the World Champions will certainly say that their mistakes cost them a chance to go up 2-0 going home. In addition, some questionable bullpen decision made by Charlie Manuel will come under scrutiny. Chan Ho Park somehow became the set up man for this team today, and confusion will reign from Park's new sudden promotion. Unlike his brilliance inning last night , Park just couldn't get the job down today. But the biggest moment of the game obviously came later that inning. Chase Utley's latest costly error, a second consecutive wild over throw while trying to turn a double play at turning a double play, led to Juan Pierre scoring to tie the game. ...

Photo from Getty Images' Stephen Dunn Coming into this series, despite the confidence they got in the Rockies series, the Phillies bullpen was still viewed as inferior to the team they beat last year at this ultimate National League stage. But after tonight, that belief maybe altered. Possibly lost in all the offense explosion in this game, Chan Ho Park was arguably the MVP of this game. He was just so clutch in that 7th inning and was the difference for me in this game. Clayton Kershaw lost focus after dominating the first 4 innings, giving up a big three run home run to Carlos Ruiz, and then a two out double to Ryan Howard to knock him out of the ball game. Cole Hamels though was no better in the 5th either. His three run homer at the hands of Manny Ramirez signaled that Cliff Lee and not Hamels right now is the ace of this staff. His change up is not as dominant as it was last year, and there will be questions going into his next start in this series if he can turn it around. Bu...

Matt Holiday has got to be the sickest man in all of America right now......outside of those without health care of course. Another come from behind win for the Dodgers as Mark Laretta signs off of Ryan Franklin for the dramatic win for the Dodgers. Unquestioned heartbreak for the Cardinals, who got just a virtuoso performance from Adam Wainwright, who showed his credentials as probably the CY Young winner in the Nationals League this year. But Clayton Kershaw was almost as brilliant, and his performance should not be forgotten. He was right there with Wainwright all game long, even after giving up the early home run to Holiday. But Holiday turns from hero to goat at the very end, and this one is a heartbreaker like no other for Tony LaRussa's side. Wainwright gave them a start that should have given them a massive Game 2 win. Instead, they will have to somehow recover from getting sweep on Saturday. The highs and lows of postseason baseball like no other. The box score that no St....

Well, the White Sox have basically given their season up. The Dodgers moved boldly to bolster their postseason chances Monday night, acquiring Chicago White Sox slugger Jim Thome and Arizona starting pitcher Jon Garland for players to be named. This move can't hurt the Dodgers, it can only help.

The Tigers should get the co-award for getting the still underrated Jerrod Washburn for two left handed prospects, Luke French and Mauricio Robles. With Washburn, Justin Verlander, and Edwin Jackson (boy, the Rays wish they had him still probably despite all their young pitching), that is really as potent of a 1,2,3 in baseball as there is. But even before the way George Sherrill pitched last night , to me, the Dodgers made the second best move after the Phillies got Cliff Lee (boy, did Lee pitch well or what in his debut last night). They needed a quality lefty in their bullpen, and they did more than get a quality lefty. They got an all star closer in Sherrill, who won't mind being the second man in the pen now, getting holds while Jonathan Broxton closes the door (his blown save against the Cardinals this week, not withstanding.) The Dodgers' rotation, despite the development of Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw, may not be better than the Phillies with Lee now. But it...

Okay, it's Bailout Field....okay, it's CitiField......okay, it's ballout whatever, Manny Ramirez made his return to baseball on Friday. But last night against the injury riddled struggling Mets, baseball's latest drug "cheat" got two hits in the Dodgers 8-0 pounding of Jerry Manuel's side. That was all overshadowed by well, Manny being Manny to the extreme: He was thrown out in the 5th inning. Or better said, he threw himself out . In his first appearance in New York since serving a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy, Ramirez was ejected in the fifth inning after his second strong disagreement with home plate umpire John Hirschbeck. After being rung up on a pitch that was off the outside corner, Ramirez tossed his bat, helmet and elbow pad, the latter landing close to home plate and earning him the heave-ho. Hirschbeck had been more lenient in the first inning, when Ramirez was also called out on strikes and signaled with his hand...